Adoption
by hotchgirl18
Summary: Set in "Sincere Apologies" universe. Denise and Aaron Hotchner are happily married with four children. When the team has to investigate a child abduction ring, the ensuing events bring Denise and Hotch closer than ever before.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Ugh, I thought they'd never get to sleep," Denise Hotchner said of her twins James and Clarissa.

"They're one year old. What do you expect? Little angels?" Hotch asked, "I remember Jack being so hyper. Now, he won't go to sleep unless I tell him a superhero story." The normally stoic Unit Chief laughed.

"Anna was always good about going to bed on time," Denise mused.

"Well, I think James and Clarissa feed off of one another," Hotch laughed.

"Now that the kids are asleep," Denise said seductively, "we can have some alone time." She kissed up and down Hotch's chest. Hotch nibbled at her ear.

"That tickles!" Denise laughed.

"Do you want me to stop?" Hotch teased.

Denise just laughed.

"Have I ever asked you to stop anything, _Hot_ chner?" Denise asked.

"Mmmm. I can say the same thing for you, Mrs. _Hot_ chner." Just then, the phone rang.

"Uggh," Hotch groaned.

"Did you forget to tell Garcia you were gonna have some 'alone time' with your wife?" Denise laughed, "seriously. She'd be asking for all the details!"

"That she would," Hotch agreed, "oh no. This is bad. This is real bad."

"What is it, honey?" Denise asked, worried. She shot straight up from the bed.

"It's a bunch of missing kids. All six years old or younger. Looks like a mass abduction." Hotch put on his suit and dress pants at lightning speed.

"Oh God!" Denise gasped, "are they gonna be okay? I mean, I know with our kids-" Denise rambled. She was freaking out.

"Relax," Hotch consoled, kissing her cheek, "it's all gonna be okay. The children are right down the hall."

"I'm gonna check on them anyway."

"I know, Denise. I'm sorry I have to go. I _promise_ I will make this up to you."

"Don't be sorry," Denise chided, "we agreed. No more apologies. Remember? You find these kids alive somehow, alright my sexy Unit Chief?" Hotch had to chuckle.

"I'll do my best, love. You look after the kids for me. Make sure Jack takes his cough medicine. He's got a nasty sinus infection."

"I will." Denise kissed him again.

"I've gotta go. I'll call you as soon as I can, sweetcakes."

"Sorry everyone has to come in late," Hotch said, "let's get started, Garcia."

"Okay. Ten children were abducted from an afterschool program. Five boys. Five girls. All under six years old."

"Yeah, but this case is different," Rossi noted.

"Yeah," Garcia answered, "because we kind of know who the unsubs are."

"Kind of?" Hotch asked.

"It appears to be a child abduction ring. They've been going at it for ten years They keep the children as sex slaves and starve them. When the children get too old, they...kill them," Garcia cringed.

"Ten years!" Hotch exclaimed, "why haven't they found these people yet?!"

"They go to different parts of the country," Prentiss answered, "and they set up shop there. When they get 'done' with the kids, they move to their next location."

"We've been called to help rescue these kids and ID these unsubs. Wheels up in twenty," Hotch commanded.

"Hey," Hotch said into the phone, "Don't count on me being home in a couple of days. It's worse than we thought."

"How bad?"

Hotch grimaced.

"It looks like it's a child abduction ring. There's multiple people invovled in this and this is just one big MESS!" He slammed his fist against the wall.

"Aaron. I can hear you beating the wall. Being angry isn't gonna help you solve this case. I'm worried too." Hotch sighed. His wife was right every time.

"I know," he sighed, "you're right. It's just..."

"They remind you of our kids," she finished.

"They only take kids six years old and under."

"Jack, Anna, Clarissa, and James are sleeping. They're gonna be fine."

"Oh, I know." He shook his head. No matter what, he had to be professional.

"You catch these bastards, Aaron."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Alright, what do we know about child abductors?" Hotch asked on the jet.

"Most of them are male," Reid said.

"The male ones are pedophiles and psychopaths usually," Rossi said.

"Female abductors have a maternal desire usually. They abduct because they want a child of their own, like Margaret Hallman," Prentiss said.

"If we're looking at a ring," JJ started, "then we've got to consider both male and female unsubs. There's two dominant partners."

"Wait, two dominants?" Morgan asked, "that's rare."

"Rare, but not uncommon," Reid said, "we've seen two dominants before with the Soul Mates William Harris and Steven Baleman."

"The dominants are both male and female," Hotch said, "the female lures the children in while the men rape them." He tried to keep the utter disgust in his voice hidden.

"Great," Rossi quipped. "we're looking at multiiple psychopaths who have easy access to kids."

"Okay," Hotch said, regrouping, "JJ and Reid, go to the morgue. Rossi, Morgan, go to where the children were last scene. This could tell us about the unsubs' ruse. The rest of us will set up at the station. I'll have Garcia pull up offenses against children."

"Hey?" Rossi asked, "you gonna be okay?"

Hotch sighed.

"I'm just worried about the kids. James and Clarissa are three."

"The unsubs' preferred victimology."

Hotch nodded.

"Aaron, Denise and the children are safe. They're gonna be _fine._ "

"I know," Hotch said, "it's just that with Jack and everything that's happened...I had one child abducted. I'm not gonna have any more!"

"I understand. Kid cases affect all of us. I know this is personal for you given what happened to Anna. Why don't you call Denise?"

"I was gonna do that anyway and let her know we were in Los Angeles. I really need to hear her voice right now."

"She knows. The only way she's gonna let something happen to her kids is over her dead body."

"And I'm gonna find these bastards and make them beg for their lives," Hotch growled, making even the veteran Rossi step back.

"Easy there, tiger," Rossi scolded, "I wanna do the same thing."

"I'm gonna step outside for a minute. Could you make introductions while I call her?"

"I'm gonna do that before you scare Reid and Garcia out of their minds!" Rossi laughed.

"Thanks. I needed that!" Hotch chuckled and patted his old friend on the back.

"Denise?" Hotch asked when she picked up the phone.

"Aaron? Are you okay? Have you made it-"

"Relax, Denise. We're in Los Angeles right now. I just needed to hear your voice right now."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah," Hotch breathed, "most of the children have died."

"I'm so sorry, Aaron. If it's any help, the kids are with me today. They're all out of school because it's a professional development day."

"How does that help me when I've got mutliple dead kids and God knows how many unsubs?" Hotch asked edgily."

"I'm sorry, Aaron. I thought you'd like to know how the kids were doing."

"Oh Denise," Hotch sighed, "I'm so sorry about that. I didn't mean to yell at you. We have multiple unsubs and... I'm worried. Of course I'm glad the kids are okay."

"Aaron. I'm home and the kids are playing together. Clarissa and James are playing house and Jack's playing with his action figures. Anna's drawing princess pictures. They're quite remarkable for a third grader!"

"Those advanced art classes must be really helping," Hotch mused.

"You hang in there, Aaron," Denise choked, "and you promise me something: the second you catch this son of a bitch, you call me."

"I will. I will. Although, to be fair, I think I scared Dave."

"Dave?!" Denise exclaimed, "well I have no doubt that you'll catch the people doing this to these kids. Good luck Aaron. Keep safe. I'll leave a light on." She blew him a kiss.

"I'll have to ravish you good when I get home," Hotch laughed.

"So tell me how we catch these guys," Detective Yorkshire said.

"We learn how they are gaining acess to the children," JJ said, "they most likely take them to a secondary location."

"Like a warehouse, right?" Detective Yorkshire said.

"No, more like a house," Rossi answered, "they don't want to stand out, so they're gonna take the kids to a house. That wouldn't raise any alarm at all."

"Can you tell me how this went unoticed for ten years?" Hotch asked.

"Up until now, they've mostly been hitting small to medium sized towns. This is the first time they've hit a major city. Some small towns still don't have any databases to connect crimes. This group is extremley good at covering their tracks," Yorkshire explained.

"To any passerby, they look like a family. That's what deters suspicion," Rossi explained.

"We've got multiple players in this," JJ said.

"They're smart," Hotch said, "we need to be smarter."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"What do you have, Garcia?" Hotch asked.

"Something that's gonna rock your world. And not in a good way," Garcia answered, "Two years ago Robert McAlister got arrested for child pornography as well as molesting children. Apparently, he was the neighborhood creep. Well, he only did one year for his crimes.

"Let me guess baby girl, the victims were too young to testify," Morgan said.

"Right on, Chocolate Thunder. Anyhow this McAlister creep ended up getting married to a June McAlister, who looks like she could lose a couple hundred pounds. June McAlister had multiple arrests for..whaddya know? Child neglect."

"What makes you think these are our unsubs?" JJ asked.

"Because, they own a house smack in the middle of the abduction zone! It looks like a normal house."

"But how are they going across the country abducting children?" Hotch asked.

"Well, your Tech Goddess wondered the same thing and it turns out the own a large RV. It's trashy and rundown and all. But, like in those television commercials—wait-there's more! Robert McAlister has two children from a previous marriage, Tess who is twenty three and Tamara who's twenty six. June has a son named Josh who has been arrested for raping sorority girls. Both have had numerous drug arrests in the past years. Apparently, they joined this 'enterprise' to make more money."

"That's why they're doing this Garcia?" Hotch asked angrily, "for money?!"

"Yeah and because Mr. McAlister has a thing for young children..."

"I think I know what's going on here. This is a child sex ring," Rossi said, "they want more children as 'siblings.' They also want to traffick these kids for money."

"And it's a family affair," JJ said.

"Garcia, give us an address," Hotch commanded.

When the B.A.U entered that house, they had no idea what they would find.

"FBI!" Hotch yelled as Morgan kicked down the door. They did an entire search of the house. The smell of rotting corpses lingered in the air. Suddenly, June and Robert came out.

"What is all the ruckus about?!" June asked.

"June McCalister, you are under arrest for rape, kidnapping, and child trafficking," Reid said, "you have the right to remain silent..."

Morgan got Robert McAlister.

"You have the right to an attorney," Morgan continued, "cause you're damn sure gonna need one, you piece of slime."

"I was trying to save them! I wanted to help them," Robert sneered, "they liked it. They were just too young to know it."

Without thinking, the normally composed Aaron Hotchner shot over to the man and got in his face.

"Well, let's see how you like in it prison, you son of a bitch!" he yelled, trying to attack him.

"Hotch!" JJ exclaimed, "look!"

As the two main leaders were hauled away, Hotch looked under the couch. In between the corpses of two other children was a little girl crouched under there. She couldn't be more than six and she was as thin as a rail.

"Please don't hurt me," she whimpered.

"Shh. Shh," Hotch calmed, "my name's Aaron. I'm one of the good guys. I'm not gonna hurt you. See? Come here." Slowly, the little girl crawled her way to the agent.

"What's your name?" Hotch asked.

"Katrina," she barely whispered.

"Hi Katrina," Hotch said, "I'm Aaron. Listen, the bad guys are gone. They can't hurt you anymore. They're never coming back." He lightly touched her shoulder. She flinched.

"Katrina, it's alright," he said softly, "I won't hurt you. But I know your parents are worried about you. Would you like me to take you to them?"

"I don't have any parents," Katrina whispered, "they... they died in fire."

"Okay, okay," Hotch whispered, "listen, the doctors are going to come here and take you to the hospital. They need to make sure you're alright."

"Okay, I'll go," Katrina said, "will you come with me? I'll be good! I promise!"

"Yes. I'll come with you. And you don't have to say that ever again. The bad guys told you you were bad, right?"

Katrina nodded.

"You don't have to promise me anything." He offered his hand.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I promise," Hotch assured. The girl was still shaking. Nervously, she took Hotch's considerably large hand.

"I've got you. It's alright. I promise. You're gonna be okay and nothing's gonna happen."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"You guys search for the other members of the ring," Hotch commanded, "I'm gonna ride in the ambulance with Katrina."

"Hotch," Morgan asked, "is she gonna be alright?"

"I don't know. I just don't know."

Hotch climbed in the ambulance with the trembling girl and grabbed her hand. She gasped.

"It's okay," she soothed, "it's me, Aaron. I'm not gonna hurt you, remember?"

"I...remember," Katrina answered, "but...they did. They hit me all the time. The guys, they touched me funny."

Hotch hid the anger from Katrina and grabbed her hand tighter.

"Ow. You grabbed my hand too tight, Aaron."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"'S okay. They're gone, right?"

"They can't do that ever again," Hotch answered.

"Please stay with me." Hotch could only nod.

At the hospital, they wheeled Katrina into a room.

"Katrina, Katrina," Hotch said, "this nice woman is a doctor and she's going to have a look at you."

"Please don't go!" Katrina exclaimed, "I'm scared!"

"Shh, shh. I'm gonna be right outside the door. If anything happens, you come get me."

Katrina nodded. Hotch turned his attention to the doctor.

"She's in good hands, Agent Hotchner."

"What do you have, Garica?" Hotch asked.

"Okay. Her name is Katrina Hawthorne and she's six years old. Her parents died in a horrible fire six months ago. She was placed into foster care and she's been there ever since. When I checked with the foster family, they said they didn't know Katrina was missing."

"The foster family didn't KNOW she was missing? How is that possible Garcia?" Hotch asked edgily.

"I don't know. They said she walked out to play outside and never came back. When I inquired them, they said they just assumed she was out playing by a nearby creek. There's like, eight other kids in that house."

Hotch sighed. Katrina's story was just getting worse and worse.

"I'm sorry, Garcia. That didn't come out right. The fire, though. What can you tell me about the fire?"

"Oh Bossman," Garcia flirted, "you literally do no wrong. But if it's any consolation, the fire was _not_ intentional. Apparently, the Hawthornes recently moved into that house. But, just six months into moving, the house was found to have faulty wiring. A wire was accidentally cut and-"

"Got it," Hotch said, "I'm gonna check on her. And Garcia, good work! We c ouldn't have done it without you."

"Thank you. And let me know when this is all over because we really need some cotton candy flavored cupcakes after this."

Hotch laughed.

"I will."

 _Just in the nick of time_ Hotch thought as the doctor exited Katrina's room.

"Dr. Rains," Hotch said, "what can you tell me about Katrina's condition?"

"It's bad," Dr. Rains sighed, "she hasn't eaten in weeks. As she probbably told you, she was raped multiple times. She was also beaten and there's numerous bruises around her chest and shoulder

area. Her face also sustained several injuries. Frankly, I don't know how she's still alive."

"Will she make it?"

"With the treatments we're giving her, she'll pull through just fine. We're gonna keep her for several weeks."

"That's good to hear."

"Where are her parents?" the doctor asked.

"They passed away six months ago," Hotch said.

"I'll get in touch with Social Services."

"Her foster family says they didn't know she was missing," Hotch all but growled.

"Woah, are you a father?" Dr. Rains asked.

"Four kids of my own."

"Well, I can tell you're a great one."

"Aaron!" a little girl's voice cried.

"I think she's calling for you."

"Well, what have we here?" Hotch asked.

"Dr. Rains put on cartoons for me. I like cartoons. I like Dr. Rains. She's nice."

"My kids love cartoons, too. Which one are you watching?"

"Spongebob. I watched it all the time at my old house."

"Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?" the voice on the TV asked.

"Spongebob Squarepants!" both Hotch and Katrina exclaimed.

"Wow! You watch Spongebob?" Katrina asked, fascinated.

"My sons, Jack and James love Spongebob, too. Is it okay if I sit here?" he asked, gesturing to the foot of the bed. Katrina nodded.

Hotch looked at the picture she was drawing.

"What is that?" Hotch asked.

"It's Ariel and Spongebob," Katrina answered, "they're really good friends."

Hotch chuckled.

"I'll bet. You know, my daughter Anna loves The Little Mermaid."

"Really?" Katrina gasped, "I wasn't allowed to watch cartoons at the bad guy's house. When I tried to draw, the old guy would beat me with his hands. Then, he would throw it in the garbage can." Hotch's face contorted, but no, no—the stoic Unit Chief was not going to cry. Still, he couldn't help dying a few tears from his eyes.

"Why are you crying?" Katrina asked, "Are you sad?"

"No," Hotch lied, "I'm not sad. Not sad at all."

Just then, JJ walked in. Hotch dried his last tear in time.

"Katrina, this is my friend JJ," Hotch said, "can you say 'hi?'"

"Hi, JJ," Katrina said, "are you a good guy?"

"Yes, I'm a good guy," JJ answered. She waved, feeling that strong maternal instinct.

"Hotch, I need to see you," JJ whispered.

"I can't," Hotch said when Katrina was out of earshot, "I have to stay with her. I can't leave her."

Then, very slowly, JJ whisperd in his ear, "The remaining members have escaped."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"They escaped?" Hotch whispered.

"Tess, Tamara, and Josh have all escaped," JJ whispered, "they saw us and they ran like hell."

Hotch ran his fingers through his hair.

"Hotch..." JJ trailed off, "the rest of the team is out looking. We have APBs all across the nation."

"Okay," Hotch sighed, "you go back and keep the media at bay. I've got to stay with Katrina. I can't leave her."

"I understand."

"What was that?" Katrina asked.

"It was nothing. JJ and I just had to have a grown up talk."

"Oh. My mom and dad had those, too."

"Hey, Katrina. Tell you what. Why don't we go to the kitchen and get some ice cream and I can get you a coloring book. Does that sound like a plan, Katrina?"

"Sounds like a plan, Aaron!"

The rest of the afternoon was spent by coloring.

"You know, I color with my son Jack all the time," Hotch said.

"Can I meet him?" Katrina asked.

Hotch chuckled.

"Yeah, you can. I have three other kids that you'd get along with great."

"Can I meet them, too?"

Hotch laughed.

"Of course, sweetie."

"Aaron?" Katrina asked, nervously.

"Hmmm?" Hotch responded back.

"Will you be my daddy?"

Hotch stopped coloring all together and just looked into the girl's sad, blue eyes. He couldn't help but tear up himself.

"Please?" Katrina begged, "I'll be good. I promise!"

"Yes, Katrina. I woud LOVE to be your daddy."

Katrina mustered enough strength to get up and wrap her arms around Hotch's neck. They hugged for what seemed like eternity.

"You should crawl back into bed," Hotch said gently, "I wouldn't want you to lose all that strength you've been working on. Up! In you go!" he exclaimed.

"Katrina?" he asked.

"Yes, Daddy?"

"Does it bother you when I touch you? Because if it does, then..."

Katrina just kissed him.

"It doesn't bother me Daddy. But will my mommy and daddy be mad at me because you're my daddy now? They're in heaven."

"Sweetie," Hotch assured, "your mommy and daddy love you very much and they would want you to have a good life and a good home. They wouldn't be mad at you."

"Are you sure?" Katrina whimpered.

"I'm sure," he smiled, "trust me. Just like you did when you were at the bad guy's house."

"Okay, Daddy. I trust you. Do I have a new mommy?"

"Yes. Her name is Denise. You'll really like her."

"De-nise," Katrina tried out, "De-nise."

"And she's gonna love you and spoil you rotten and so am I." He kissed her on the nose.

"Agent Hotchner?" a nurse asked.

"Yes?"

"Dr. Rains needs to examine her again. Just as a checkup."

Hotch turned to his new daughter.

"Listen, sweetie. The doctor needs to examine you again. Just to make sure you're alright. Now, I'll be waiting by the door just like I did last time. Can you be brave for Daddy?"

"Okay."

As if on cue, Morgan beckoned Hotch outside.

"What do we have?" Hotch asked.

"Tess and Tamara were caught hiding out at a friend's house," Morgan answered, "Josh is on the run still. Don't worry, we have the US Marshalls on him and APBS and BOLOS everywhere."

"How's the girl?" Rossi asked.

"Better. Much better. The doctor just has to examine her again. Routine checkup. She doesn't understand too much of what's going on, which is a good thing."

"Daddy?" Morgan asked.

"Yes," Hotch answered, "I am adopting her."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"No way!" Morgan exclaimed, "Hotch, are you serious?"

"As serious as I'll ever be," Hotch said, "she doesn't have anywhere else to go and we've bonded. I'm not letting her go. She already asked if I would be her father. And I- I- said yes." He sighed deeply, preventing himself from crying.

"Well, congratulations Aaron," Rossi said, "you are an excellent father!"

"Congrats man," Morgan fist bumped him.

"So are you gonna call the old lady and tell her the news?" Rossi asked.

"Dave, I don't appreciate you calling my wife old," he laughed, "and for your information, yes I am going to call Denise. I'd appreciate it if you and JJ will stay with Katrina. The doctor just finished examining her and said everything was normal."

"Hey, Katrina's part of the B.A.U family now," JJ said, "anything for the best Unit Chief."

"Denise?" Hotch asked.

"Oh, thank God Aaron, you're still alive!" Denise exclaimed.

"I can't say the same thing for most of the children," Hotch solemnly spoke.

"I'm sorry. I heard you guys busted up the child abduction ring. I saw it on the news."

"We have one still on the loose," Hotch answered, "but it's bad, Denise."

"I hope you find him," Denise said, "how bad is it?"

"Bad. Awful. All of the children were beaten and starved to death. The girls were raped. They were all under six years old Denise. Six!" he cried.

"Oh, Aaron. I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

Hotch took a deep breath.

"We found a survivor—Katrina Hawthorne. She's six years old. I found her hiding under a couch. She was severly malnourished. I don't think she has eaten anything in several days or weeks. She was also..." he cried. He couldn't bring himself to say the word "raped."

"Oh my God!" Denise cried, "that's awful! How did she survive?"

"I don't know, Denise. I really don't know. Her parents perished in a house fire recently."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Denise, she has no one. And she and I have developed a bond. She likes cartoons like Jack and the twins and princesses like Anna. She's still scared and she asked if I would be her father-"

"You wanna adopt her, right?"

Hotch didn't say anything.

Despite the situation, Denise laughed.

"I'm sure the twins would love to have another sibling!"

"How are they?" Hotch asked.

"Well, I just got off work. Jack and Anna rode the bus home from school. They're doing homework. Jessica picked up the twins from daycare. Clarissa and James are making funny faces at one another and giving each other a hard time, you know, being three year olds."

"Denise, you really don't mind-"

"Not at all. I'm sure she can stay in Anna's room until we find an arrangement. I'm excited to have another girl. You know, I always said I would adopt children one of these days."

"Denise, you never told me that!" Hotch exclaimed.

"Well, I had Anna and then Michael died in the car accident and there was never enough time, you know? Then, you came along and, just changed my life for the better. We have four children already. I thought I'd never get the chance," she smiled wistfully.

"If it's alright with you," Hotch started, "you've got the chance."

"I'm gonna take it," Denise cried.

"Oh, Denise," Hotch said, "it's all gonna be alright. Just remember when she gets here, she's gonna be a little nervous and on edge. It took me a while to get her to realize I wouldn't hurt her."

"I know," Denise sniffed, "if you never promise anything else to me, promise me this. You get this son of a bitch that hurt my daughter. Understand?"

"Yes ma'am," Hotch said.

As Hotch was walking to Katrina's hopsital room, he heard a commotion. _Must be the doctors trying to get an IV in her_ he thought. Only, Katrina was thrashing around crying, "Daddy!"

Another voice said, "Your Agent Hotchner isn't gonna be saving you this time around, punk!"

Hotch gasped. Josh McAlister broke into Katrina's hospital room!

"Morgan, Rossi, get in here!" Hotch whisper-yelled, "Josh McAlister is holding Katrina hostage. I'm going in!"

"Hotch, shouldn't you wait-" Morgan started.

Hotch kicked down the door and yelled, "FBI! Drop the knife!"

"Oh, look who we have, Katrina?" Josh sneered, "you're wonderful 'father!'"

"You let her go," Hotch growled.

Soon, JJ, Rossi, Reid, and Morgan were surrounding the room.

"You know, I wonder what it would be like to rape her again," Josh mused, "only this time, make you watch it, Hotchner."

Hotch's face turned red and his glare was deadlier than ever. It looked almost evil.

He turned to Katrina.

"Oh, look, but Daddy won't save you this time!"

"You're a meanie!" Katrina yelled, "my daddy's right there and he can save me!" She punched him in the stomach.

"I suggest you let the girl go," Hotch said.

"Let her go," Josh mocked.

"Put the knife down, Josh so we can talk," JJ said, trying to reason with him. Otherwise, there was no telling what could happen. The team didn't put it past Hotch to outright kill the man.

"You know, maybe I shouldn't rape her," Josh said.

"That's a start," Rossi quipped.

"I'm gonna kill you instead," Josh said, walking up to Hotch.

"Back up," JJ said.

"Katrina doesn't have anyone else," Josh taunted, "I wonder what will happen when I kill Agent Hotchner—the only person she has left."

"You big meanie! You're one of the bad guys my daddy catches!" Katrina yelled.

Josh raised his gun at Hotch. Suddenly, a shot rang out.

"Daddy!" Katrina exclaimed.

"It's alright," Hotch kneeled down and whispered.

"He said he was gonna kill you," Katrina sobbed.

"But he didn't," Hotch assured. He wiped a strand of hair away and wiped her tears.

"Is he gone?" Katrina asked.

"Yeah...yeah... he's gone."

He took her in his arms and let Katrina sob on his shoulder.

"Are you sure? No more bad guy?"

"No more bad guy. I promise."

Katrina choked and let out a bunch of air.

"Shh. Shh. It's okay Katrina. I'm here. In a couple of days, we're gonna go home. I'm here. You see?" He had Katrina look up at him.

"Everything's gonna be okay. You see. I'm here."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"It's okay," Hotch soothed, "it's over."

"He's not coming back?" Katrina asked.

"No, never."

The team looked over at Josh's lifeless body.

"At least we got him," Morgan said.

"I'll go see our little 'friends' in prison," Rossi quipped, "I'm sure they'll want to know all about how their 'beloved' son died. Bastard."

Once Katrina stopped crying, Hotch gently placed her in the bed.

"Katrina. Katrina. Listen to me sweetie, alright?"

Katrina looked up.

"Dr. Rains needs to examine you one last time. She just wants to make sure you're alright after...that."

"Then can we go home now?"

"JJ needs to ask you a few questions, first. You remember JJ, don't you? I will be with you the whole time."

"You won't leave?"

"I won't leave. I _promise_."

The father and daughter pair hugged admist the chaos.

"Denise!" Hotch exclaimed.

"Aaron. Are you alright?!" Denise asked with worry, "when are you and Katrina coming home? I've got a bed made and everything!"

"We're coming home soon, very soon dear. But, Josh..." Hotch said.

"What about Josh?"

"He broke into the hospital room and held Katrina hostage again!"

Denise gasped.

"Is she alive? Is she okay?"

"She's fine, Denise. I can't say the same for Josh though."

"Tell me you got the bastard, Aaron."

" Yeah,I got the bastard," Hotch growled.

"Aaron..." Denise started.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. It's just...how much more can she take?" he wailed.

"Aaron, I'm sure she's gonna be fine. From what I can tell, she's a fighter."

"Yeah, yeah she is," Hotch grinned, "it's just, what if I fail?"

"As a father?" Denise asked, "Aaron Michael Hotchner how many times have we been over this? You are an excellent father to the kids! I remember how good you were with Anna when we were dating. As for Katrina, you and her share a bond—I know that."

"But what if...if she never recovers?"

"Aaron, with the right therapy, she'll do just fine. You of all people should know that. You're a profiler for Pete's sake!"

"Yeah, but with my job, I can't help thinking every therapist is some sort of sexual pervert with an agenda."

"Aaron, I said with the _right_ therapy. You have Garcia, remember? I'm sure she can run backgrounds on anyone we're considering. And when Katrina gets older, you'll know what to say. Trust me."

Hotch sighed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. We'll just have to wait and see. But, in this enviornment, she's gonna thrive. And she's gonna be wonderful." He grinned.

"I'm putting her in Anna's room. They should bond pretty quick!"

"Have you told Jack and the others?"

"Well, Jack's not too thrilled because she's a girl, but Clarissa and James seem to be fine with it."

"Denise, I promise I'll be home soon. We just gotta finish up and exam and some questions."

"Don't worry," Denise whispered seducively, "I'll leave my light on."

"Denise, we have five children now. We're gonna have to be more careful!" he laughed.

"Safety's for wimps," Denise teased.

"Katrina is doing just fine," Dr. Rains said, "luckily, he didn't beat her."

"Did he..." Hotch couldn't finish.

"No, no. Thank God. I'll send Agent Jareau in and I'll get your paperwork and you guys will be done."

"How many other kids were in that house?" JJ asked, sweetly.

"I dunno," Katrina said, "about ten. One of them was named Gracie. We hid from the bad guy underneath the couch a lot."

"And was Gracie one of your friends?"

"Yeah, we found a way to play. But the bad guy made her go away forever."

Hotch squeezed onto Katrina's hand.

"And the bad guy. What did he do when he found out you were hiding out?"

"Well, there was two guys. But there were two girls. The guys would just touch me funny and I didn't like it," she cringed. That only made Hotch grab her hand tighter. He knew what she was describing in six-year-old terms.

"Ow, Daddy!"

"Sorry, baby. I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Can we go home now?" Katrina asked, "I wanna meet my mommy! And I want some food that is really food."

The whole team laughed.

"As soon as we get the okay from the doctor, we'll leave. You're gonna get to come back with us on a plane!"

"Oooh.. an airplane? Like one of those things that flies?"

Hotch laughed.

"Yes!"

"Is it scary?"

"A little. But once you take off, whoosh! It's so much fun!"

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Daddy's silly!" Katrina exclaimed.

"You should see him at work," Morgan quipped. Then, under his breath, he mummured, "total opposite."

Hotch swatted him on the back.

"Hey! Just for that, I'm making you work victimology for the rest of the month!"

"Boys, boys," JJ scolded, "Morgan, I expected that from you, but _Hotch?"_

Hotch just smirked.

"You got a little six year old kid right there," JJ quipped, "you gotta set an example for her!"

The nurse came in.

"If you sign here and here, Agent Hotchner, you and Katrina will be ready to go."

"Ooh, Daddy, are we ready? Can we go home now?" She tugged at his shirtsleave.

"Yes, baby, we're going home now."

"Yay!" Katrina got up off her bed. Hotch caught her in his arms.

"I get to ride in a PLANE!" Katrina exclaimed, "Whee!"

"Whee!" Katrina and Hotch exclaimed, twirling around. Hotch picked her up and lifted her in the air.

"This is what it's like to fly?" Katrina asked, "WHEEE!"

The team savored this happy moment and watched as Hotch planted a kiss on his new daughter's face.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Are you ready?" Hotch asked Katrina.

"Yes! I'm ready!" Katrina grinned up at him excidetly.

"Uh. Uh Uh," Hotch lightly scolded, "you gotta put your seatbelt on."

"May I?" he asked. As Katrina nodded, he reached for the seatbelt and put it around her. _Click_. She was safe and sound.

"You know, plane crashes are really rare," Reid said, "you're more likely to die in a-"

"Uncle Spencer!" Hotch exclaimed, "not hepful!"

"Yeah, Reid, not in front of the kid," Morgan said.

Suddenly, the plane started going into the air. Hotch squeezed her hand tight.

"Are you okay? We're going up!" the Unit Chief exclaimed.

"Whee!" Katrina exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Whee!" the normally composed agent exclaimed in agreement, "Oh!"

"Hahaha! What is it Daddy?" Katrina asked.

"Woosh! We made it in the sky!" Hotch said.

"Haha, you're funny," the six year old giggled.

"You see the clouds?" Hotch asked.

Katrina nodded.

"You wanna look out the window?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"She's a lot braver than I ever was," Rossi quipped.

"Uncle, Dave, it's not scary at all," Katrina answered.

The team rode in silence as Hotch and Katrina looked at the window.

"Alright, guys, Katrina and I are going home," Hotch said.

"Hotch, man, you don't have to worry about anything," Morgan said, "We got this."

"The papers should be in any moment. I'm gonna have Katrina bond with Denise and the other kids for the weekend."

"That'll be good," Rossi said.

"Horray! I can't wait to meet my mommy!"

 _Ding dong_. The doorbell rang. Denise was in her apron, baking cookies.

"Hi," Hotch said, "I have a suprise for you."

"Oh, Aaron," Denise said, "I'm sorry I locked you out. It's just with everything that's been happening-"

"Denise, Denise, it's fine. I have someone you'd like to meet."

Katrina emerged from behind Hotch.

"Why, you must be Katrina!" Denise exclaimed.

"Hahaha, yep. That's me! Are you my mommy?"

"If you will let me, I will be."

Denise flung her arms around the girl.

"Aaron has told me so much about you!" Denise exclaimed, "I can't believe I get to be your mommy! Oh!"

"I can't believe I _get_ a mommy."

"Oh, Katrina. You're always gonna have a mommy and a daddy who love you very much. You won't be alone again. But, come in, both of you!"

Hesistantly, Katrina walked around the house. She walked over to the piano and started tapping it.

"Katrina," Hotch warned,

"Oh, you, it's fine," Denise said, "I've been busy making cookies for Katrina. Of course, I had to make dinner too, but-"

"Denise," Hotch stopped.

"I'm starting to sound like Spencer, aren't I?"

Katrina must've been listening in because she piped up, "Cookies?" She ran into the kitchen.

"Now, now, Katrina, do you remember what you say when you want something?" Hotch asked.

"Please?"

"Of course, you may have a cookie," Denise said.

Suddenly, Jack walked downstairs.

"Hey! Who's got the cookies?"

"They're for your new sister, Katrina," Hotch answered.

"Oh," Jack said. He walked over to her.

"I'm Jack," he said, "I'm your oldest brother. But I think girls have cooties."

"Jack!" Denise and Hotch exclaimed at the same time.

"What are cooties?" Katrina asked.

Hotch and Denise just looked at each other.

"Tell you what," Denise said, "we're gonna have supper in a few minutes. I'll help you get cleaned up and you can meet your sisters, Clarissa and Anna."

"I'll go help James, and I'll deal with Jack," Hotch offered.

Katrina watched as Denise gave Clarissa and Anna a bath. As Anna dried off she said, "It's your turn if you want."

"Oh, okay," Katrina said, hesistantly getting into the tub.

"'S okay," Anna said, "mama and daddy always tell me to share." She gave Katrina a smile.

Katrina played in the bubbles and Clarissa threw some at her face.

"Clarissa!" Denise exclaimed, "what do you say to your sister?"

"I'm sorry sister."

"Yeah, well how about this?" Katrina flung some bubbles at Clarissa.

"Katrina, Clarissa, we do not allow messes in this house!" She chuckled at how her three girls were bonding.

"Do you have cooties?" James asked.

"James," Hotch said, "this is Katrina, your sister. And no, she does not have cooties." He gave his best "Hotch stare."

Katrina just looked dumfounded.

"I don't even know what they are," he shrugged.

"I'm sorry," James said, "Jack told me to tell you that."

"I'm sorry I thought you had cooties," Jack apologized, kissing his sister on the forehead.

"I know this is a big change for everyone," Hotch said in his Unit Chief voice, " but can we _please_ drop the cooties subject. I don't want you to scare Katrina away!"

"We won't scare her away," Jack said.

"I won't leave," Katrina said, "if you'll let me stay."

"Katrina, we'll always let you stay," Hotch said, "you're not leaving us for a long, long time." He grinned.

"Let's eat!" Denise said, "mashed potatoes and porkchops for everyone. And cookies and cupckaes, espescially for our newest member!"

"Denise, you really shouldn't spoil her so," Hotch laughed.

"Shut up. I spoil all my children. Besides, the girls and I are going to the park tommorow."

"Oooh! I've never been to a park before!" Katrina exclaimed.

"You've never been? Well, consider this a first," Denise said, "in fact, it's gonna be a fun first!"

"Get used to it because you're gonna have a lot of firsts," Jack quipped.

That night when Katrina crawled into her new bed, she felt at home. Anna was in the bunk on top of her.

"Mama and Daddy tell me you got taken by a bad guy," Anna said.

"Yeah. He was a real bad guy," Katrina confessed, "he did bad things. But Daddy got him, so it's okay."

"It's okay," Anna agreed, "a bad guy took me, too."

Katrina gasped.

"Only, this one wore a mask," Anna explained, "and it was scary. But Daddy got him, too."

"Daddy always gets the bad guys," Katrina said.

"No one beats Daddy."

Little did the girls know that Denise and Hotch were listening in on the conversation. Denise rested her head on Hotch's chest and they knew everything was going to be alright.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Katrina and Anna slept all through the night. The next morning, Katrina was greeted by the sound of a hiss.

"AHH!" she screamed.

Anna giggled.

"Silly, that's Midnight, the cat," Anna said, "he only likes me!"

"Well, gee, Anna, you could've told me that!"

"We have a dog, too. But he's real nice."

At breakfast, the family was sitting around eating waffles.

"So, Katrina, are you ready for our day at the park?" Denise asked.

"Yes, Mommy!" Katrina said, "what do we do at the park?"

"We swing, slide, and feed the birds," Denise answered.

"Whee!" Clarissa exclaimed.

"Whee is right," Denise said, "but we don't throw our food."

Denise turned to her husband.

"What are you boys gonna do?"

"Well, the boys and I are gonna build a fort and get in it," Hotch anwered.

"A fort," Denise repeated, "Can I get in it?" She winked.

Hotch walked over to Denise, leaned real close, and whispered in her ear.

"Not in front of the kids," he hissed, "Wait. Your. Turn."

"'Not in front of the kids,'" Denise mocked, "and you're growling at me like a bear? What are ya trynna do? Make me insane?"

"Don't. Mock. Me."

"Mommy's right," Katrina said, "you do sound like a bear."

Hotch blushed.

"What does insane mean?" Jack asked.

"Okay girls, you go on to the park," Hotch said, "Jack, James, you help me get this sheet up for the fort."

"Duckies!" Katrina exclaimed as they walked down to the lake.

"Duckies," Denise repeated, "you wanna go feed them?"

"Nah," Katrina said, "A duck chased me when I was five years old. I didn't like it."

Clarissa, Anna, and Denise cracked up.

"It's not funny!" Katrina exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," Anna said, "some things are just funny. That's one of them."

"How about we go over to the swings?" Denise asked.

"Race you guys to the swings!" Katrina yelled.

"Uh-uh," Clarissa said, "I go first."

"Well, let's see who gets there first," Anna said, "come on."

Back and forth, back and forth—the girls were singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," and they were singing to the rhythm of the swings.

"Girls, if I hear that STUPID whim-o-whe one more time, I'm gonna-"

"But it's fun, Mommy," Clarissa said.

"Ugh," Anna said, "you should've never taught Katrina that song!"

"You're singing it too!"

"Girls, girls," Denise scolded.

"Fine," Katrina said, "I'll race you to the monkey bars!"

"Whoever gets there first gets ice cream!" Anna said.

"And who excatly is paying for this ice cream?" Denise asked.

They stayed at the park for two hours. Clarissa, Anna, and Katrina played on the monkey bars and merry go rounds. They raced each other down the slides, and even found a new way to annoy their mother—by singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" over and over again. Then, they went to Malt's Ice Cream Shop.

"It's been so long since I had ice cream!" Katrina noted.

"Consider it a celebration," Denise smiled, "finding a new family."

"Clarissa, don't throw ice cream," Denise scolded.

As the four Hotchner girls ate their ice cream sundae, Denise couldn't help thinking about how everything changed. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. She saw Clarissa picking up another scoop of ice cream. _Some things never change_ she thought.

"Wow, you're home late," Hotch said.

"It was a busy day," Denise answered, "tell him what we did."

"We went to the park to play," Katrina said, "and then we got ice cream!"

"I'm jealous," Hotch said, "you forgot to include me."

"Don't wory Daddy," Anna said, "we'll take you next time."

"I'm jealous myself," Denise commented, "this fort looks amazing!"

"Cool, yeah! Dad and I got in it!" Jack exclaimed.

"Can we get in it too, Daddy?" Katrina asked.

"I don't know if there's enough room, but we'll try it."

Hotch and the kids all went inside. Inside the fort, there were action figures scattered all around. Jack, Anna, and Katrina picked up the action figures and started playing with them. Anna even brought some of her dolls into the fort, too. Clarissa and James just sat there. When all the kids were playing, the proud parents knew that Katrina had been accepted.

"Well, I'm exhausted," Denise said, "it's been a long day. But fun. Very fun. I'd like to do it again with all the kids and you."

"I think we can arrange that," Hotch said.

"You and the boys did really well on the fort-"

"Denise, there's not enough room," Hotch cut off, "besides, what if the kids want to get in there? What will they think? I think we scarred the kids for life enough this morning !"

"Yeah, that's true," Denise shrugged.

"On a more serious note," Hotch said, "I got some papers about Katrina."

"Oh," Denise said.

"We're gonna make it official."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Today was the day. Hotch and Denise were going to make it offical. They woke up at 7:00.

"Horray!" Katrina called, bouncing into the room, "today's the day!"

"Katrina, we don't have to be there until eight," Hotch said.

"I know, but I'm just so excited!" she exclaimed, bouncing off the bed.

Buddy, the golden retreiver walked in.

"Hi, buddy!" Katrina said. She walked up to him and he started licking her.

"I see you like Buddy," Denise observed.

"He's so sweet! He's nice. Midnight doesn't like me."

"Yeah, well Midnight doesn't like any of us," Hotch retorted.

"Aaron!" Denise swatted him on the back.

"Buddy's taken to you," Hotch said to Katrina.

"Well, I don't know about you all," Denise said, "but I'm going to get ready. Katrina, while you're at it, can you wake up Jack and Anna?"

"Don't jump on their beds," Hotch warned, "I know you're excited."

"What are we gonna do about the twins?" Denise asked.

"Oh, Garcia's gonna watch them while we're out," Hotch answered.

"Oh dear."

The family, minus the twins sat on the courtoom benches. As Katrina answered question about living with the Hotchners, her voice went up two octaves everytime. It was clear she was excited. Judge Faust could see it too.

"Well, Mr. and Mrs. Hotchner," Judge Faust said, "all that's left to do is sign here and here."

Katrina rubbed her hands in glee.

"It's offical—you are now Katrina Elaine Hotchner! Congratulations," the judge smiled.

"Yay!" Katrina exclaimed. Her parents pulled her itno an embrace.

"We did it!" Hotch exclaimed, pulling Katrina really close.

"You're my daddy, now For real! How cool is that?" Katrina asked.

"I finally get to adopt a beautiful daughter," Denise said, through tears. Hotch pulled her close. His face was crinkling up, too.

"You're an awesome sister!" Anna said, "we did it. We beat the bad guys, together!"

Hotch smirked.

"With Daddy's help of course," Anna added.

"I'm just glad you don't have cooties," Jack added.

"Oh," Katrina lightly punched him, "I'm sure you've got head lice." She smiled.

Jack stuck his tounge at her.

"Okay, okay," Denise said, "I don't want you to be fighting _that_ soon."

The brother and sister pair just smiled.

(6 months later)

"Go, go, go, Katrina!" Hotch yelled from the sidelines. It was fun, coaching both of his kids' soccer team.

"Katrina, pass it to Jack!" Denise called.

"Over here, sis!" Jack exclaimed.

Katrina kicked it as hard as she could.

"Ooh, nice kick," Jack said.

"Jack, focus please. Good job, Katrina! Keep it up guys!"

The team won and everybody gathered around for snacks and drinks.

"We did it Katrina!" Jack said, "we won!"

"You did awesome!" Katrina said, high fiving him.

"I'm so glad she's decided to join the soccer team," Denise said, "it's been really good for her."

"Yeah, but having Jack on the same team-" Hotch laughed, "you should see practice sometime."

"I'm glad the therapist reccomended this," Denise said, "it's really helping her get her motor skills back to where they should be."

"It's also taking her mind off of it too," Hotch added, "she's doing really good. She's been drawing pictures and Dr. Roberts said she talks about us nonstop."

"I guess that's a good thing. I mean, who knows what she told them about us."

"Oh you!" Hotch said.

"Daddy, daddy, we won!" Katrina exclaimed.

"I'm so proud of you!" Hotch said.

"Mommy, can we get some ice cream?" Jack asked.

"If your father says we can," Denise answered.

Jack looked to his father.

"Katrina, do you want some ice cream?" he asked.

"Oh boy, yes!" Hotch scooped Katrina up in his arms. The family of seven walked out hand in hand, Katrina, Hotch, and Denise both thinking _I have everything I could ever wish for in this world._

THE END.


End file.
